Flood of 2008: Culver likely to call special session
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By Charlotte Eby | Monday, June 16, 2008 |
DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said Monday he and top officials already are working on a plan to rebuild parts of the state hit hard by flooding and would likely call lawmakers back in a special session.
“We’re going to need a lot of help to bring people together and rebuild the great state, and I want to reassure folks that that process is under way,” Culver said at a news conference before boarding a helicopter to tour flooded areas in southeast Iowa.
Culver said it is unclear what the total damage might be, but it would be in the billions of dollars. The state would have to be “creative and resourceful” in finding dollars for rebuilding from federal and private sources, he said.
Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, will be one of the experts in the Legislature on the effect of disasters that have hit the state. His home on the Cedar River flooded, and three of his family members lost houses in the tornado that hit Parkersburg and New Hartford.
Dotzler is in favor of a special session but fears the resources that are available won’t even come close to the need that Iowans have.
“It’s going to be a challenge for everybody, and if the state can do something to help out, we ought to do it,” Dotzler said.
Like many of those affected by record floods, Dotzler didn’t have flood insurance because the area near his home hadn’t flooded in the past. He lost his furnace and water heater and other items in the flood but said he feels blessed compared to what others have gone through.
“I think we’ve just got to listen to people and try to help them the best we can,” Dotzler said. “There are a lot of people, with this economy, (that) are on the edge, and this is enough to send them over.”
Culver said it would be premature to say lawmakers would consider a large-scale borrowing effort for flood relief. He said the state has money for emergencies like this one, although he said it is unclear at this point how much. The state’s cash reserve and economic emergency funds currently sit at just less than $600 million, officials said.
“First of all, the people of Iowa need to know our fiscal house is in order,” Culver said. “We have more money today in our cash reserves, in our rainy-day fund, if you will, than at any point in the history of Iowa.”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, is in discussions with other legislative leaders to establish a commission that would come up with a recommended aid package that would not dip into the state’s cash reserve funds.
“I think that’s possible if we get the best minds working on it,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy would not rule out the possibility of borrowing to pay for rebuilding efforts.
State Rep. Jamie Van Fossen, R-Davenport, wants to see the total damage estimates and what insurance and the federal government will pay before a special session is called.
“If a special session is necessary, I’d be all for that,” Van Fossen said.
But he stressed the state should do everything possible to avoid borrowing money to pay for disaster damage.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency traditionally has provided significant resources to local governments to help repair damaged infrastructure. The state’s role might be to help out in ways the federal government hasn’t.
“We’ll be having discussions with legislators from the affected areas over the coming weeks and be looking at what the state might be able to do,” Gronstal said.
Charlotte Eby can be contacted at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.
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